Datamorphosis: A Cy-Bug Story
by Azure Umbra
Summary: Eat, kill, and multiply: Those are the base instincts of all living things - the way of the animal that eventually paves the way to higher thought. Fast or slow, small steps or big steps, they grow, evolve, and mature until, whether by chance or their own efforts, they become something more...provided they continue to live. [A story told through the eyes of an unusual Cy-Bug]
1. Prologue

_On a planet with no name, a top secret experiment has gone horribly wrong. Cy-bugs, adaptive mechanical life forms initially conceived for recreational purposes, were redesigned for the military by the A-Toy Corporation. Modified and produced for the intent of a new generation of superweapons, the Cy-bugs proved too great to control. _

_We are humanity's last hope. Our mission: Destroy all Cy-bugs._

* * *

Deep within the dark depths of a metallic labyrinth, within a near-empty square chamber littered with semi-rusted crates, pipes, panels, and other mechanisms lining the walls, a dimly lit computer screen flickered on a console at the far end. Bathing the room in a cold teal, the screen blinked between showing function stats of the surrounding facility and pre-recordings of several people who once inhabited said facility. The sound emitted from the monitor's speakers was somewhat garbled and crackled with static at a low volume, so not much was comprehensibly heard out of it.

Behind one stacked pyramid of crates, a set of yellow eyes peered from behind, the light emitted from the optics replacing the black shadows cast by the crates. Their gaze lingering at the partially-functioning computer screen, the eyes blinked a couple times before slinking away back into the cover of the darkness, the sounds of clattering against the metallic concrete floor echoing across the surrounding spaces.


	2. Burrowed Beneath

_Dark…cold…quiet here…_

_Dark…quiet…above loud…above bad…_

_Above…me bugs…eat…eggs…die…two legs shoot bugs…bugs die…_

Lying huddled behind a stack of crates, a large robotic insect stared blankly into nothing, only its own thoughts data streaming in its head. Its yellow eyes glowed and flickered in the darkness, providing a change to the blackness. Its yellow wings rustled on its back, signaling some form of unrest for their owner.

Deciding to deal with this unrest, the bug got onto its feet and moved away from its hiding spot to step into the light of the computer screen on the other side. It turned and continued to crawl until it reached the tall metal panel that indicated a giant automated sliding door, though despite that, the door did not move and open for the one coming towards it. With a raised front claw, the bug pushed (or was it pulled?) at one of the door's panels until it moved enough to give it some space to squeeze through.

Once passed the door, the bug stopped for a moment to slowly scan its surroundings using its yellow-lit eyes.

The area was quite towering and cavernous, lined with beams and panels upon beams and panels of metal. A few parts of the area opened up into beam-built tunnels so wide and long that they stretched so deep into whoever-knows-where. The chamber itself, lined with green-colored lights, appeared to be quite tall enough that it would rival the Tower's main lobby in size and scope. In the center of the chamber were four thick metal pillars that surrounded a platform, indicating an elevator shaft that led to what was up above past the metal clad ceiling.

The bug stood on a walkway above the chamber's main floor, taking into account other walkways that jutted across the room over the main floor like a cuboid web. Left and right of the bug were other doors on the walls lining the walkways that stuck out slightly that gave the impression of loose panels or crates that were not lined up equally. Unfurling its wings, the bug launched itself off the walkway and hovered through the air across the chamber. It only stopped upon landing on one of the metal beams making up the elevator shaft.

_Room… long time…see all…_

The bug looked up towards the opening in the center of the ceiling right above the elevator shaft.

_Above loud…bad…above quiet…good…_

_See…tower above…long time…see many…no see all…_

The bug lingered on the beam for a little while, calculating whether or not going above to the surface was a worthwhile effort. It had inhabited the Tower's lower levels for quite a long time now, with nothing there to help it pass the time except for observing the various computer monitors scattered across all the lower levels in a select few rooms. The screens had often shown the bug all sorts of differing information, however logical said information was. Up above on ground level, explosions and gunfire rang out for about a day while two-legged humans in armor shot at Cy-Bugs, leading to the sounds of their dying screeches adding to the cacophony.

_Two legs…no like bugs…shoot bugs…me bug…two legs shoot me…_

_Bugs…like me…are me…no me…bugs green…me yellow …green bugs eat…kill…eggs…me do other…_

The bug raised a leg, taking a step forward up the column.

_Here…no bugs…me only…safe…quiet…too quiet…dark…cold…Tower…see many…no see all…_

The bug took another step up the column.

_Go see Tower…see many…see all…find more…see…bugs like me…_

With another step, the bug proceeded to climb up the shaft towards the opening, which would lead straight into the tower's main lobby on the ground floor. The bug was aware that there were soldiers and green Cy-Bugs fighting each other at this time, but it was also the only time that new Cy-Bugs would emerge. There was no reason the yellow bug could formulate about why it was not green like the rest of its kind, but somehow, someway, the bug considered that whatever happened might happen again. After all, have not all Cy-Bugs begun as an egg?

_Another…like me…maybe… know…like me…can be…_

Before reaching ground floor, the yellow bug turned its head to look back down to the bottom of the shaft, holding its gaze for a bit.

_Stay…me…come back…no wait long…_

The bug then turned back above and crawled up into the first ground level of the tower.


	3. Bug Hunt

**"All right, ladies, the kitten whispers and tickle fights stop now! The entrance to the lab is straight ahead!"**

Sergeant Calhoun firmly stated the next objective to the two robots in front of her. Said robots were holding guns using mechanical arms and supported by wheels to help them move. Their heads were flat screens which displayed the faces of children with an arcade in the backdrop. Said children held up their plastic rifles, readying themselves to enter the tower on Calhoun's command. Calhoun readied herself as well, making a mental note to keep her eye on the two kids before her. At the very least, she never had to deal with any marines getting in the way of the first-person-shooters ever again, not unless Markowski or especially Ralph had other ideas.

**"Stay in formation, keep your rifles up, eyes peeled,"** she ordered the kids, **"and remember, rookies, 'fear' is a four-letter word."** She pumped the barrel of her rifle and ran to the tower, the kids automatically following right behind her.

* * *

The yellow Cy-bug crawled without stopping across the walls, ceiling, elevator shafts, and occasionally stairs as it made its way up the tower. Despite constantly having to avoid obstacles getting in its way, the bug did not really face any real threat apart from the marines who stormed the tower every day. The green Cy-bugs that the yellow Cy-Bug often got in the way of only passed by without recognition. It helped that the green Cy-Bugs were not all that bright anyways. Aside from not knowing they're in a game and only knowing how to eat, kill, and multiply, the only thing they saw in the yellow Cy-Bug was just another Cy-Bug. That alone made the yellow Cy-Bug's trip up the tower a whole lot easier. Despite that when climbing the tower, there was no other direction but up, the yellow Cy-bug took a great deal of its time ascending every floor. In fact, with every floor it got to, it entered and exited each room present, using its eyes to scan for any eggs already laid by the other Cy-Bugs. When it did find eggs, it waited until the eggs hatched, the hexagonally-plated shell dissolving to reveal the tiny orb-like larva inside. Each newly hatched Cy-Bug appeared to be a green-glowing ball with a stubby set of legs lining the bottom. Its tail stuck out like a little tuft of hair and had only one pair of eyes. But what the yellow Cy-Bug waited for was when those little larvae would instantly grow a little bigger, entering their second stage of life – a juvenile. That was when the yellow Cy-Bug watched for any changes.

_Bugs…grow…change…color…_

One baby, then another, instantly popped to appear bigger in size, entering the juvenile stage. When they got bigger, they were no longer walking orbs. Now, they had an extra pair of eyes, longer legs and tails, and a metallic shell covering their bodies. Their eyes remained green.

_Bugs…no me…_

The yellow Cy-Bug crawled away from the newborns in a slightly sluggish manner. There was nothing left to do but move on to the next room and then the next floor. In another room on another floor, the yellow Cy-Bug carefully moved around the other green Cy-bugs that crawled around every dimension of the hallways.

_Green bugs…noisy…me calm…_

The yellow Cy-Bug did not understand, but it felt some sense of safety and security among the crowded high-pitched noises of its green-lit kin. Perhaps it was because it felt that they were just as aware of the former being among its kin. That and their presence gave it some cushioning protection from whatever gunfire from the marines that may appear. It managed to catch sight of another batch of eggs sitting near a window when shots rang out. It turned around to find a woman in armor running down the hall using a rifle to shoot at every Cy-Bug in sight. Accompanying her were two robots on wheels holding guns and had screens on their heads showing two very young humans.

**"Way is blocked!"** Sergeant Calhoun exclaimed through her helmet. **"You know what to do, rookies!"**

_Two legs…here shooting bugs…danger…_

The yellow Cy-Bug scurried away in order to find a safe way out. It didn't pay any mind to the eggs it was knocking over, causing more newborn baby Cy-Bugs to hatch. The two first-person-shooters aimed their rifles at the hatching eggs, firing at ones that haven't hatched yet while shooting the little bugs that already hatched. A few green Cy-Bugs crossed their paths, to which the players shot at them while missing a couple others. Those two Cy-Bugs managed to damage one of the players before being shot by Calhoun.

The yellow Cy-Bug was already crawling up a wall when it turned its eyes to end up looking at the trio down below. The bug was pretty sure that one of the kids on the robot monitor screen was narrowing an eyebrow while looking straight at the bug which was weirdly not green like the rest. The other kid's eyes were widened, even lowering their weapon briefly to stare at the Cy-Bug which appeared to look different from the other Cy-Bugs they had fought earlier.

**"Rookies! Cy-Bug!"** Calhoun barked at them, shocking them out of their brief ogling. There was still a brief second of hesitation between the two players, but they raised their rifles at the yellow Cy-Bug and fired.

_Shooting…pain…hurt…get away…_

The Cy-Bug screeched as the blasts of the three's rifles made contact with its shell. Jumping down from the wall, it crawled away rapidly to jump onto the other wall on the opposite side of the hall, but it could still feel itself being hit by more shots fired. Needing a fast exit away from its attackers, the bug unfurled its wings in an attempt to fly away, fly fast and far down the hall until it reached out of range. It pushed itself off the wall and began zipping away from the three.

**"What's up with that bug?"** one of the kid players asked their partner.

**"No idea. Maybe it's some kind of Easter egg,"** the other kid shrugged their shoulders.

**"No way,"** the first kid disputed, **"I shot at that thing and I didn't see any numbers coming out!"**

**"No points?"**

**"Guess not. Probably something up with the game."**

Meanwhile, Sergeant Calhoun was still leading the players down the hall to the next objective, the same hall that the yellow Cy-Bug was currently trying to escape through. She was just as confused as the kids as to why the Cy-Bug she just saw was yellow and not green. If she had the luxury of encountering it after the final Quarter Alert of the day, let alone after gaming hours, she would have taken more time to scope the creature out. But unfortunately, she didn't have time to dawdle as she still needed to get the players to the top of the tower, especially since the other Cy-Bugs infesting the environment remained as deadly and threatening as ever. Raising her rifle and taking aim, she used the visor on her helmet to track the Cy-Bug crawling around the corner and pulled the trigger.

The blast of pulsing energy streaked down the hall. The yellow Cy-Bug didn't have any time to react before the energy blast struck it in the eyes, burning a gaping hole in its head. Such severe damage was enough that all the bug's other functions ceased to be active. Its legs slowed before their joints locked and froze up, causing the bug to fall from the wall and land on the floor on its side with a clang.

_Shoot me…no move…no…see…me…hurt…_

Its yellow eyes blinked and flickered before fading slowly.

_No…move…see…dark…cold…sorry…friend…_

Its eyes darkened, powering down.

Sergeant Calhoun and the two players rounded the corner, each of them taking a momentary glance at the downed bug before looking back forward as they went on to continue the game. But the thought still lingered in Calhoun's mind as she continued to lead the way forward.

**_"What in the rust-covered bareback metal wastelands was that?"_** she thought.

* * *

Time passed, and the end of the day had finally arrived. The arcade closed and the beacon at the top of the tower was activated, drawing all remaining green Cy-Bugs to its blinding beam to be incinerated. The next successive hours ticked by after that, going through the night.

The cavernous chamber in the lower levels of the tower's basement was as quiet as ever, deathly silent due to the utter lack of activity or presence of any real life forms, for that matter. Down on the main basement floor of the chamber, in an alcove situated at the side of an empty metallic moat-like pathway, a set of yellow eyes opened up, its light cutting past the shadowy darkness encompassed by the alcove entrance.

_Friend…where friend go?_

The eyes looked out of the alcove and above to where the top of the elevator shaft was.

_Friend leave...go up…down…left...right…_

_Friend no here…long time…no see friend…long time…_

The clacking of metal parts touching the floor rang across the stale air.

_Friend lost…me find friend…_

The yellow-eyed and winged Cy-Bug stepped out of the alcove, turning to inspect one of the giant tunnel entrances on the floor it walked on to begin its search.


	4. Bug Tracking

**_Earlier, a little while after closing time…_**

It had been a few hours since the arcade closed, but the soldiers of Hero's Duty were just finishing up their last mandatory perimeter check around home base. Sergeant Calhoun was at the front leading the platoon. The woman's steely gaze did not turn to either direction but remained forward as she kept moving to keep her soldiers doing the same without falling behind. She stopped once everyone reached home base again.

"Okay ladies, looks like we're all clear!" Calhoun barked. "Everyone pack on up and get on home!" Everyone grunted in compliance, and the sergeant waited until almost everyone was inside past the front gate before calling out a soldier by his name. "Kohut!"

The soldier named Kohut promptly turned around and stood at attention, his rifle lowered at a ready stance. "Ay, mam!" he responded without a waver in his tone.

"You're coming with me," Calhoun replied, her voice a little lower and at ease, "I'm going back to the tower, and I need you to have my back in case something happens." She reloaded her rifle before holstering it on her back, then turned around to look back up at the tower. She stood for a long drawn-out moment, her gaze not shifting once.

"There something wrong, sarge?" Kohut asked her after noticing his commanding officer lingering in front of him, almost lost in thought.

Calhoun didn't answer for a little bit, but then said, "Just need to check on something real quick."

* * *

It had been a while since re-entering the tower, but Calhoun managed to retrace her steps to where she encountered the yellow-looking Cy-Bug. She found the hallway corner where she shot it and sure enough, the bug's damaged and deactivated body was still there, lying motionless on its side with no light in its eyes, wings, and tail. Stepping closer to the dead bug since it was dead, Calhoun knelt down and brushed her fingers on one of its lightless eyes. She narrowed her eyes further to try and look for anything else on the bug that may somehow tell her something about any anomalies.

"Sarge?" Kohut interrupted her examination, "there something up with that dead Cy-Bug?" Calhoun didn't answer, but Kohut continued, "I mean, I know you're just looking out, but it's dead."

"Not now, Kohut," Calhoun reprimanded him, not even turning her head to look back and face him. She examined the rest of the bug, observing the mechanisms in the cracks between the shell plating and the membrane lining its wings. She shook her head, unable to find any kind of explanation for why that bug was the way it was. Regardless, she turned back to look at Kohut. "Kohut, call command to send a shuttle for pickup," she ordered.

Without further questioning, Kohut did exactly what he was ordered to do. Using the comm-link on his helmet, he immediately issued a request for a shuttle. Once he was done, he saw Calhoun still standing in front of the dead Cy-Bug. "Not to bother you, sarge," he finally decided to interject, "but what's got you so interested in that Cy-Bug?"

This time, Calhoun did not reprimand him for asking a trivial question, though for her, it was a question she had been asking herself too. She decided to humor her soldier with an answer. "Out of all the Cy-Bugs I've seen during Quarter Alert, none of them ever got my attention until this one came along." She looked at Kohut, "Cy-Bugs as we know'em are green, but this one isn't, not to mention it ran instead of trying to attack and eat me." She turned her head to a nearby window pane to look outside for the shuttle. "I wonder what this Cy-Bug ate to be like that…"


End file.
